As a prelude to the most famous battle of
Marengo, in certain ways, the battle of Casteggio Montebello could be seen as a
replica, in miniature, of the former.

After the fall of Genoa Bonaparte realized
that it was impossible to stop part of the Austrian army in Liguria and on the
8th of June ordered General Lannes to move as quickly as possible in the
direction of Voghera, sweeping away any Austrian resistance.

The same day FML Ott moved toward
Alessandria with his 12,000 men. In the mist of the following morning O’Really's
light division repulsed the advance guard of the 6eme Legere. Thinking he was
facing no more then 6.000 French, O’Really sent a message to Ott who, beliving
in an easy victory, pushed his division toward the village of Casteggio. With a
bit of luck he could reach Piacenza the next day.

But General Lannes was marching on
Casteggio. At 9 o’clock a renewed assault against the Austrian position was
made by the 6eme Legere, with O’Really on the defensive. When the division of
General Watrin fall upon the defenders of the village of Rivalta, the Austrian
understand that an easy victory could be changed into an hard day of fighting.

The battle of Casteggio Montebello could be
seen as a “Little Marengo” with the Austrian advancing toward lesser French
forces and then assaulted by the reinforcements lead to the battle field by
General Victor. The following scenario is detailed at battalion level.

Order
of Battle:

Austrian Army, FML
Ott (AC)

Advance
Guard, FML O’Reilly (DC)

Oberst
Schusteck (BC), Ex=8

8th
Nauendorff HussarsM5 [s][s] Lt,sk

Bussy
Jaeger zu PferdM5 [s] Lt, sk

2nd
Ottac GrenzerM4 [s][ ][ ][ ] sk, bg, pt

1st
Warasdin GrenzerM4 [s][ ][ ][ ] sk, bg, pt

3rd
Bach Ligth BtgM5 [s][s] sko

4th
Ende Light BtgM5 [s][s] sko

Mariassy
JaegerM5 [s][s] sko

Horse
Artillery BattM5[ ][ ]

GM
Vogelsang (DC)

GM Gottesheim
(BC), Ex=14

IR57
J. Colloredo 1st BtgM5 [ ][ ][ ][ ] bg, ne

IR57
J. Colloredo 2nd BtgM5 [ ][ ][ ][ ] bg, ne

IR18
Stuart 1st BtgM5 [ ][ ][ ] bg, ne

IR
18 Stuart 2nd BtgM5 [ ][ ][ ] bg, ne

IR18
Stuart 3rd BtgM5 [ ][ ] bg, ne

3rd
Ogulin GrenzerM4 [s][ ][ ][ ] sk, bg, pt

IR17
Hohenlohe 1st BtgM4 [ ][ ][ ][ ] bg, ne

IR17
Hohenlohe 2nd BtgM4 [ ][ ][ ][ ] bg, ne

FML
Shellenberg (DC)

GM Sticker (BC),
Ex=13

IR28
Frohlic 1st BtgM5 [ ][ ][ ] bg, ne

IR28
Frohlic 2nd BtgM5 [ ][ ][ ] bg, ne

IR28
Frohlic 3rd BtgM5 [ ][
][ ] bg, ne

IR40
Mittrowsky 1st BtgM4 [ ][ ] bg, ne

IR40
Mittrowsky 2nd BtgM4 [ ][ ] bg, ne

IR40
Mittrowsky 3rd BtgM4 [ ][ ] bg, ne

IR51
Splenyi 1st BtgM5 [ ][ ][ ][ ] bg, ne

IR51
Splenyi 2nd BtgM5 [ ][
][ ] bg, ne

IR13
Reisky 1st BtgM4 [ ][ ][ ] bg, ne

IR13
Reisky 2nd BtgM4 [ ][ ] bg, ne

10
Lobkowitz L.DragoonsM5 [s] Lt, sk

French
Army General Lannes (AC)

Army
Troops:

12e
HussarsM5 [s][s][s] Lt, sk

Gen de
Brigade Mainoni (BC), Ex=3

28e
Demi Brigade 1st BtgM5[ ][ ]

28e
Demi Brigade 2nd BtgM5[ ][ ]

28e
Demi Brigade 3rd BtgM5[ ][ ]

Gen-
Watrin (DC

)

Gen Mahler (BC),
Ex=9

22e Demi
Brigade 1st BtgM5[ ][ ][ ]

22e Demi
Brigade 2nd BtgM5[ ][ ]

22e Demi
Brigade 3rd BtgM5[ ][ ]

40e Demi
Brigade 1st BtgM5[ ][ ][ ][ ]

40e Demi
Brigade 2nd BtgM5[ ][ ][ ]

40e Demi
Brigade 3rd BtgM5[ ][ ][ ]

Gen Gency (BC),
Ex=4

6e
Légère 1st BtgM5 [s][s][s]

6e
Légère 2nd BtgM5 [s][s]

6e
Légère 3rd BtgM5 [s][s]

Gen
Victor (CC)

Gen
Chamberlhac (DC)

Gen Herbin (BC),
Ex=5

24e
Légère 1st BtgM5 [s][s][s][s]

24e
Légère 2nd BtgM5 [s][s][s]

24e
Légère 3rd BtgM5 [s][s][s]

Gen Rivaud (BC),
Ex=10

43e Demi
Brigade 1st BtgM5[ ][ ][ ][ ]

43e Demi
Brigade 2nd BtgM5[ ][ ][ ]

43e Demi
Brigade 3rd BtgM5[ ][ ][ ]

96e Demi
Brigade 1st BtgM5[ ][ ][ ][ ]

96e Demi
Brigade 2nd BtgM5[ ][ ][ ]

96e Demi
Brigade 3rd BtgM5[ ][ ][ ]

Setup:

Austrian Set Up: The Advance Guard of
O’Really should be placed on the hill around the village of Rivalta. At 9.30
the first columns of Austrian troops starts their entrance from the road of
Alessandria. First Vogelsang, then Schellenberg division. FML will enter when
the first battalion of Schellenberg enters the table. All Austrian enter in
march column. All Austrian infantry is mounted on linear
bases.

French Setup: The French player enters the
first round with the 6eme Legere, the 12eme Hussars Lannes and Watrin from the
road that lead to Piacenza, in any formation he desired. At 11 o’clock from
the same route will enter the rest of the Watrin Division followed at 12 noon by
the Mainoni brigade. The remainder of the French army, including Victor with the
Chamberlhac’s Division will enter the field on the 2pm move from the same
road.

Game
Length:

The game will start at the 9.00 turn and
will end at the end of the 7pm turn or when one of the two army quits the field.
In the Battalion Level game each turn represents 30 minutes.

To allow enough sufficent room to move the
reserves and the general flow of troops that enter the battlefield, the game
should be played on a table of 12' x 6' foot. All woods are open, but disorder
the linear troops when crossed. The river should be treated as a marshy banked
stream except that it does not cause a disorder result.

Towns &
Villages: Montebello is represented by four town blocks. Casteggio is two town
blocks (the central ones) and two village blocks. Rivalte, Casa Giordana and
Casa Fertile are a single town block. The Castle (Castello) is a single town
block with all the benefit of a Fort.

Victory
Conditions:

The French will win by exhausting at least two of the three Austrian
divisions and forcing the Austrians to withdraw to Montebello. If the French are
able to exhaust all the three divisions but the Austrians are still
defending the bank of river Coppa then the battle is a draw.

If the French are unable to reach the above conditions the game ends in an Austrian
victory.